By Firstdespatch Desk Aug 31, 2022
Agartala, Aug 31 (FD) A high court order brings solace to five Post Graduate students of the Agartala Government Medical College (AGMC), who were asked to discontinue their studies by the authorities following an order from the National Medical Commission (NMC).
Five doctors, namely Satyajit Das, Asish Das, Arpan Chakma, Sahani Debbarma, Nibedita Talapatra were given admission in the MD Courses in AGMC by awarding incentive marks over the marks that they had scored in their NEET PG 2021. The incentives were given as per the government notification that had envisaged 10 percent incentive marks for in-service doctors for each year of their service in remote/difficult/rural areas. An in -service doctor was thus eligible for 10 per cent extra marks as they were working in remote and difficult areas over the marks they score in the NEET PG.
However the NMC came on the way of continuation of their studies on the plea that they did not score required percentage.
The NMC in its communication dated July 22 last observed that none of the five students were qualified as per the cut-off percentage they should be ‘discharged’ from the course. On the incentive marks, the NMC also pointed out that “The remote and/or difficult areas or rural areas shall be notified by the State Government/competent authority from time to time”.
Principal of the AGMC had discharged them in an order on August 17 last following instructions from NMC. The doctors then filed a suit in the High Court of Tripura.
The single bench of the Justice Arindam Lodh after pursuing the case on Monday stayed the National Medical Commission order cancelling admission of five doctors saying that after hearing the arguments he did not find any infirmity in the methodology adopted by the competent authority of the State in determining the merits of the candidates.
“Accordingly, the impugned memo dated August 17 last under which the petitioners have been discharged from pursuing their PG Course (MD/MS) shall remain suspended till the matter is disposed of finally”, the order said.
The order further read, “In the opinion of the Court, the matter is to be adjudicated and disposed off expeditiously, since it concerns the future of the petitioners. The respondents shall file the counter affidavit within seven days’. FD JK